Crypto.com Applies for U.S. Bank Charter to Expand National Custody Services

Highlights:

• Crypto.com applies for a U.S. bank charter to provide custody and staking across blockchains.
• A national trust bank charter provides federal control and eliminates state-by-state licensing.
• Crypto.com now competes with other crypto companies moving into the regulated banking space.

Crypto exchange Crypto.com is expanding its role in regulated financial services. The company has filed for a national trust bank charter application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The purpose of this move is to scale up the company’s federally regulated trust and custody services that will offer a unified model of operation in the United States.

Crypto.com Applies for U.S. Bank Charter

The application marks a significant milestone in the ongoing compliance journey of Crypto.com. The company already has a Qualified Custodian trust entity operating in New Hampshire, under the regulatory oversight of the banking department of the state. However, this new charter would change its regulatory supervision to the federal level, giving it the capacity to provide trust and custody services nationwide.

A national trust bank charter would help Crypto.com to expand its secure custody and staking offerings on additional blockchain networks, such as Cronos. This would make the firm a reliable partner to institutional investors, Digital Asset Treasuries, and Exchange Traded Funds in search of federally regulated crypto solutions.

https://t.co/vCNztATkNg has filed a National Trust Bank Charter application with the @USOCC.

Read more https://t.co/4ZK05VeKiv pic.twitter.com/kLd45IpeEe

— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) October 24, 2025

U.S. Charter to Expand Crypto Custody Capabilities

Obtaining the OCC charter would enable Crypto.com to put its operations under a single federal framework. The transformation removes the process of state-by-state licensing, reducing the complexity of the regulations and enhancing compliance visibility. Furthermore, such a change would ease the way institutions would approach the regulated custody services of Crypto.com.

This commitment was highlighted by Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek, who said:

“Since the beginning, we have been focused on building our Crypto.com product and service portfolio using regulated and secure offerings.”

Recently, the company received a complete set of CFTC derivative licenses, which shows its willingness to conduct business in a highly regulated setting. This new OCC filing complements this success, reinforcing its long-term plan to establish trust and security in the crypto ecosystem.

Industry-Wide Trend Toward National Charters

Crypto.com is applying for a U.S. bank charter as part of a broader trend of the major crypto platforms seeking to receive national charters. A number of companies have done the same in order to achieve federal standards. These initiatives are meant to simplify the operations and bring greater credibility to digital finance under U.S. supervision.

Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the US, recently filed its own charter request to expand payment and settlement operations nationwide. Stablecoin issuer Circle also applied to the OCC to have a trust entity to facilitate its operations of the USDC stablecoin.

It's time. Today @coinbase filed for a national trust company charter from the @USOCC. 1/3 https://t.co/A5Hy2OUmea

— paulgrewal.eth (@iampaulgrewal) October 3, 2025

Additionally, Paxos, which runs PayPal PYUSD, aims to transform its state trust charter into a federal charter. Ripple also entered the movement by applying to obtain a federal license to expand its payment and stablecoin solutions.

Together, these filings represent an increased urge of crypto companies to operate under clear and consistent federal regulations. By pursuing federal trust bank charters, the companies aim to close the gap between digital and traditional finance.